The authority of the Prophet

Is the scope of the authority of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, limited only to the doctrinal affairs and the matter of worship, and not to worldly affairs? By some Western circles, the function of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, is restricted to correct the doctrinal beliefs of the Ummah and to teach them how to worship Allah. According to them, worldly affairs are not governed by the prophetic authority. Nevertheless, the authority of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, is clearly established by the Holy Qur’an for all people and all times.These worldly affairs include, in the view of those who would limit the scope of the Prophet’s authority, all the economic, social and political affairs which should be settled according to the expediency at each relevant time, and the Prophetic authority has no concern with them. Even if the Holy Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, gives some directions in these fields, he does so in his private capacity, and not as a Messenger. So, it is not necessary for the ummah to comply with such directions.A report which is often misquoted to support the above-mentioned fallacious view is as follows from Imam Muslim: The blessed Companion Talha (radiallahu ‘anhu) says: "I passed along with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, across some people who were on the tips of the palm-trees. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, asked, What are they doing? Some people said, "They are fecundating the tree. They insert the male into the female and the tree stands fecundated”. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said, I do not think it will be of any use.The people were informed about what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said. So, they stopped this operation. Then the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was informed about their withdrawal. On this, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, says, If it is in fact useful to them, let them do it, because I had only made a guess. So, do not cling to me in my guess. But when I tell you something on behalf of Allah, take it firm, because I shall never tell a lie on behalf of Allah. Further, According to Anas (radiallahu ‘anhu), the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, has also said on this occasion, You know more about your worldly affairs.If the Ummah was to take the above-mentioned Hadith literally, Islam, like some other religions would only be restricted to doctrines and rituals, and having no concern with the day-to-day affairs of the human life. Once one has observed the prescribed doctrines and rituals, he is free to run his life in whatever way he likes, not hindered in any manner by the divine imperatives. However, it is an established fact that Islam, unlike some other religions which can coincide and co-exist with the secular concept of life, is not merely a set of doctrines and rituals. Islam is a complete way of life which deals with the political, economics and social problems as well as the theological issues. Allah states in the Holy Qur’an: O those who believe, respond to the call of Allah and His Messenger when he calls you for what gives you life (8:24).There are vast fields in our day-to-day worldly affairs which are not directly commented upon by the Qur’an and Sunnah, where people have been allowed to proceed according to their needs and expedience on the basis of their knowledge and experience. However, for these worldly affairs that are not directly addressed by the Qur’an and Sunnah, the Muslim must align his decision with existing principles laid down by both, to ensure that they are guided Islamically in the performance of that affair, and most importantly, avoiding the major sin of committing Shirk.For, if Allah and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, are to call people towards life, the affairs of life must totally be within the jurisdiction of Allah and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam,. Otherwise, vital branches of human life will always fall prey to satanic desires leading the people toward disaster.Furthermore, none who has studied the Qur’an can endorse that its teachings are limited to worship and rituals only. There are specific injunctions in the Qur’an about sales, purchase loans, mortgages, partnership, penal laws, inheritance, matrimonial relations, political, social and family affairs, problems of war and peace and other aspects of worldly relations. Likewise, the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, also deals with the economic, social, political and legal problems in such details that voluminous books have been written to compile them. The injunctions of the Qur’an and the Sunnah in this field (worldly affairs) are so absolute, imperative, and of mandatory nature that they cannot be imagined to be personal advises lacking any legal (divine) reference.Finally, there are numerous verses from the Qur’an which enjoin the obedience of Allah and the authority of the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, upon the believers, in particular Chapter 4 Aayat 65 which says: But no, by your Lord! They could not be believers, until they make you (Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them fully with submission. Hence, to accept the fallacy that the Prophet’s, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, authority does not encompass worldly affairs, is to denounce the second source of Islamic Law, the Sunnah. This authority of the Sunnah is based on the revelation the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, received from Allah. This obedience to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, has nowhere been limited to some particular field. It is an all-embracing obedience which requires total submission from the believers, having no exception whatsoever, neither by limiting its tenure, nor by exempting the worldly affairs from its scope.[Compiled from The Authority of Sunnah, by Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani.] Sunnah — the second source of legislationThe Sunnah (the actions, sayings and confirmations of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, is the second source of Islamic legislation and must be in complete agreement with the first source (i. e. the Qur’an).The term Sunnah comes from the root word ‘sanna’, which means to pave the way.Sunnah can be used to describe a path that people follow. In Islamic terminology, Sunnah applies to a prophetic way which includes references to the Prophet’s sayings, actions, approvals, physical features and character traits.His actions pertain to anything he did, as authentically reported by the Companions. His silent approvals on different issues meant he didn’t oppose or mind what he saw, heard or knew of the actions or sayings of his Companions. Sunnah also includes everything authentically narrated concerning the Prophet’s physical features and his traits.The Qur’an and the Sunnah complement each other. Without the Sunnah, Islam is not complete, likewise without the Qur’an, Islam is not complete.Actually, Sunnah is so important that without it one cannot fully understand the Qur’an and Islam, or be able to apply it to his life. Both of these sources guide us to the right path.The Qur’an is the word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah is its practical interpretation. Sunnah also gives a full account of the life of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.The Qur’an principally deals with basics. It is the Sunnah which gives the details and necessary explanations of Qur’anic injunctions. For instance, Allah Says in the Qur’an what means: "...Establish the prayer...” [2: 43] But it does not specify how the prayer has to be performed.Even after knowing the details, it may not be possible to follow the divine injunctions contained in the Qur’an. For not everything can be properly understood by words alone. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, demonstrated before the believers how the prayer was to be performed.Thus, not only did the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, inform the believers of the divine injunctions, but he also put these teachings into practice in all matters pertaining to religion and daily life. He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, himself practiced these injunctions scrupulously. His practice was not a private matter; it had the status of a detailed interpretation and application of the Qur’an.Importance of the SunnahThe Qur’an repeatedly reminds us of the importance of the Sunnah, enjoining us to strictly follow the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.Allah, Almighty, Says what means: "...And whatever the Messenger has given you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from...” [Qur’an 59:7]Allah also Says what means: "But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission..” [Qur’an 4:65)Again, Allah Says what means: "It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” [Qur’an 33:36]According to many verses in the Qur’an, the Muslim is bound to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. No one remains Muslim if he does not accept the Prophet’s Sunnah.The Sunnah is nothing but a reflection of the personality of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who is to be obeyed at every cost.The Sunnah was not, as is generally supposed, a thing of which the need may have been felt only after the Prophet’s death, for it was very much needed in his lifetime. The two most important religious institutions of Islam are Prayer and Zakaah (obligatory alms giving); yet when the injunction relating to Prayer and Zakaah were delivered, and they were repeatedly revealed in both Makkah and Madinah, no details were supplied. ‘Keep up prayers’ is the Qur’anic injunction, and it was the Prophet himself who by his own actions gave details of the prayer by saying: "Pray as you see me praying.” [Al-Bukhari]Zakaah is again an obligation frequently repeated in the Qur’an, yet it was the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who gave the rules and regulations for its payment and collection. These are two examples, but since Islam covers the entire sphere of human activities, hundreds of points had to be explained by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in word and deed.The importance of the Sunnah, even as a second source of Islam, was an openly accepted issue by the Companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Whenever they couldn’t find a solution to a problem in the Qur’an, they would refer to the Sunnah. And they were the most diligent in preserving it for those who came after them.Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/